I was fortunate enough to discover Terry Pratchett's books about young witch-in-training Tiffany Aching a few years back. Since then, I've been recommending these titles --- and the rest of his stellar Discworld novels --- to friends and family, young and old alike. Pratchett is sometimes dismissed as only a humorist, an author of light fantasy that, while offering plenty of comedic social satire, doesn't have much backbone. I would beg to differ with that characterization of the Discworld series, which has as much heart as it does humor.

But, with the publication of NATION, a stand-alone novel that is not part of the Discworld oeuvre, Pratchett should silence those criticisms once and for all. NATION is at once adventurous and contemplative, playful and philosophical, and it should appeal to long-time devotees of the author and new fans alike.

NATION is not set in Discworld but rather in a world that bears a great deal of resemblance to our own in the mid-19th century. There are a few differences in history and geography, but cultural issues such as scientific investigation, the rights of women, and the role and responsibility of the monarchy and religion will certainly be familiar to any student of the Victorian period, even if Pratchett takes some delightful liberties with the historical record.

Ermintrude is the teenage daughter of the Governor of Port Mercia, who had been 139th in line for the throne of England. That is, until a bout of influenza wipes out everyone between him and the throne. The only problem? The presumptive king is thousands of miles away, governing one of the dozens of tiny tropical islands that dot the Southern Pelagic Ocean and contribute to the nation's extensive empire. His daughter is also at sea, on a ship called the Sweet Judy with an unscrupulous crew, eager to join her father. Neither one of them has any idea of the myriad ways in which their fortunes are about to change.

Ermintrude's fortune changes dramatically indeed, when a killer tsunami runs the Sweet Judy aground on a tiny island. Ermintrude is the only survivor of the shipwreck and, as she soon discovers, is one of only two people left alive on the devastated island. The other is Mau, a teenage boy who was in the process of successfully passing his manhood ceremony when the tsunami destroyed his entire Nation. Now Mau is confused about his place in the world. If he has left his boy's soul behind but not yet been given a man's soul, does that make him a human? A demon? Or something else entirely?

Mau and Ermintrude (who quickly takes this opportunity to rename herself Daphne instead of her given name, which she has always hated) don't have too much time to consider these philosophical details. There are hundreds of dead to be buried at sea, shelters to be made, fires to be built, new languages and customs to be learned, and, soon, as dozens of desperate refugees from other islands arrive at the Nation seeking support, other people's problems to which to attend.

Daphne, who has lived her whole life under the thumb of her martinet grandmother, soon discovers she has a passion for doctoring, a talent for making beer, and an appreciation for walking around in the tropical climate in just her petticoat and pantaloons. Mau, who continues to question his soul's worth and his own place in a warlike culture, grows into a capable, confident and kind chief of this new Nation. Together, Daphne and Mau develop a new civilization --- and learn truths about Mau's people's history that may change views of science, culture and religion forever.

NATION may be more philosophically dense and less broadly comic than most of Pratchett's Discworld novels. There's plenty of adventure to be had, though --- with shipwrecks, cannibals, murders and even a hidden sacred burial ground. While certainly appealing to his legions of existing devotees, NATION should help broaden his fan base significantly. It raises some of the most fundamental moral and ethical questions that humans have always struggled with, and then turns them on their head in ways surprising, thought provoking and, finally, eminently satisfying.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

With "Nation," Terry Pratchett has once again defended his reputation for excellence and humor in stories of social and literary significance. To be honest, as his books are cranked out with significant prolificity (yes I made that word up), they have grown in social significance while the humor has become more subtle. In "Nation," Mr. Pratchett explores the myths of cultures in a coming of age story. Pratchett's stories are always worth reading and this one does not disappoint.

Having read Terry Pratchett's whole catalogue of work after happening on the illustrated "Eric" many years back I never cease to be amazed at his wordsmanship and ability to paint the human condition so gently but piercingly. "Nation" is no exception. It is both gentle, quitely amusing and metaphysically raging and if it is, as some have suggested, based on his own current condition which has thrust his own mortality into his sights, then more accolades to him that he is still one of the most civilized voices on the island. The book is very readable and ponderable...i'm sure the Librarian would give it pride of place in the library should it fall into that world.

This is much different than other Pratchett books, but I loved it anyway. We got it from the library but now we are going to buy it -- it was really provocative and inspiring. I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions Mau does, but it feels important to think about all these questions.

***Not sure what age I'd recommend this for. Certainly not before 7th grade. It is written simply but the subject matter is so dense. Great for a read-aloud for couples or parents/teens.

***I have been reading light fluffy novels, and this one came as a shock -- it starts so grimly. Hang in there through the first 50 pages or so, because it's worth it!

This author was diagnosed with early onset Alschimer's this year. I don't know when he wrote this book, but it is a message of hope to all that read it. I suspect some help with this novel since his wife is named as co-suthor, but also because there are only 2 of Prattchett's usual footnotes.

This books just seems too morbid. There's no joy in reading it, and the characters are not likeable. Too much personal angst, not enough action or plot. Terry Pratchett can write a book 50 times more exciting than this, I hope he does so very soon.

Pratchett's books for young people have a tendency to reach beyond the intended age group and are just as enjoyable and relevant for adults. His latest novel, "Nation", is no exception. Anybody who has read his Tiffany Aching books will also know that Pratchett also has a fondness for headstrong young girls, delighting in exemplifying how they grow more or less smoothly into maturity. In this delightful novel Daphne, or Ermintrude as she was named by her family, is another example. Just for the pleasure of meeting her, the book would be worth reading... but there is so much more to explore here.

Thirteen-year-old Daphne is pretty, smart and well-educated, and loved by her aristocratic father. After the death of her mother, she was brought up by her strict grandmother, who instils in her a sense of values and responsibility but also, unintentionally, inquisitiveness and independence of mind. She is the counter part to Mau, also thirteen, and the actual hero of the story. His Nation, a small island in the South Pelagic Ocean is a traditional, pre-industrial society where gods reign and the spirits of the grandfathers maintain the ritualistic order by communicating their instructions to the selected few. While on "Boy's island", where he had been preparing for the rites of passage into manhood ceremony, Mau was oblivious to the tsunami of unheard of proportion that swept over lands and islands. The village had assembled on the beach for his return and celebration when the wave swept them away, leaving a trail of destruction. He reaches Nation in the aftermath of the disaster and discovers that he is all alone. Well, not quite... The ship that was to bring Daphne to her father in Port Mercia stranded on Mau's island leaving her with only a talkative parrot for company.

The story follows the two young people from worlds apart - without a common language and even gestures - who have to overcome their mutual suspicion and distrust and grow individually and together to become the centre of a new community as survivors from surrounding islands and from further afield seeking refuge with them. With great sensitivity and imagination, Pratchett explores the coming of age process in both. He exquisitely tackles the conflicts in Mau's mind between his old society steeped in mythology and hierarchy and the new reality where beliefs and rituals have to be questioned and new codes of morality be established. Daphne also has to develop a new understanding of society where class and privilege have no meaning. There are any number of challenges the young people have to face, starting with finding food and milk for a baby. There are pirates and renegades to deal with and much more... Can they, together with the diverse collections of refugees build a better and more hopeful Nation?

Pratchett's style is as always fluid and smooth, his imagery perceptive and innovative. His sense of humour, mostly subtle, shines through many sections. There are a few slow sections that a young person might skim over searching for the action on the next page. For adults the novel has many layers of narrative, food for thought on our perceptions of cultures, traditions and communication. [Friederike Knabe]

I understand that after Pratchett's regrettable diagnosis of Alzheimers, he experienced an episode which has slightly shaken his famous humanist philosophy. It is said that he very clearly heard the voice of his Father saying, "All will be well." It gives nothing away that the blurb does not already say to speculate that this episode influenced this book to produce the voices of the Ancestors. I sincerely hope that his philosophy has not been too deeply shaken, since we need him.

This is something of a departure for Pratchett as it doesn't really fit into the category of books for school-age young adults and is not a Discworld book. The style is rather mature, in my judgement. Pratchett himself has matured so manifestly that one can hardly recommend him to the same people as enjoyed "The Dark Side of the Sun" all those years ago. Except those who have themselves matured... The humour has become far more "organic" to the novel rather than consisting of a barrage of little absurdities, and in fact plays a very limited role in the enjoyment to be had from his writing. These days it's all about the story, and the ideas.

Pratchett delights in offering a startling new perspective and a questioning of our fundamental ways of organising the world and dealing with each other. This time, religion is again in the frame. Less acerbic than "Small Gods", it nevertheless pokes successful fun at our way of building mythologies around fading cultural memories.

Read Pratchett. As this book essentially stands alone and shows him at his thoughtful and witty best, start here.

When I asked about the book my friend Jim said, "you will only think that it has been a shame that Pterry has spent so much time writing in Diskword". Sure enough; what he presents is a thought provoking book about civilization, life, faith, companionship and human instinct. I do miss DEATH, but there are footnotes like only Pterry can write.

I just finished reading this phenomenal book, and recommend that you read it as well, and probably buy a copy for nieces and nephews this holiday season. I don't know if - due to his illness - this will be Terry Pratchett's last book; I hope there are many, many books to come. If it is, this is certainly a book that a man could proudly end his career with.

As so many of his best books have been, this is a book that uses new characters, in a new place. Surprisingly, these characters and this place are not within the Discworld of many of his other novels, but a set of islands which could remind a person of various islands in the south Pacific (though in an author's note, Pratchett specifically tells us that the islands are somewhere else entirely).

It's a self-contained book that is appropriate for young adults and above that doesn't draw upon any of his past work... not even Death, speaking IN ALL CAPS. If this is your first Pratchett book, don't be worried, you're going to be on completely even footing with people who have been Pratchett followers for years!

Terry Pratchett takes a different slant with this one. Not set on Discworld, Nation tells of the survivors of a tidal wave, culture clash, renewal, redemption. It's engrossing, and at the end, quite moving. I sat there for a while after finishing the book, just letting the emotions it provoked seep in.

Pratchett's sardonic humor only slips in towards the end, when "civilization" shows up. Otherwise, it's sincere and well paced. If you're a Terry Pratchett fan, I would *not* miss the chance to read this book if I were you!

As a long time fan of Pratchett, I was looking foward to his latest book with greedy anticipation. He fed my imagination well. This is a vivid story of surviving overwhelming adversity, and determination to re-create community when home and family are a memory, and hope is all but lost. In true Pratchett form, when he draws you into a very real new world that is both astonishing and frightening, the bumps and bruises are softened with understated humor. Mau and Daphne's pain will sear your heart as they rebuild their world and grow beyond their years. A book that is perfect for any age.

This may be the finest thing Terry Pratchett has written, and that's saying a lot. It's a wonderful story in all respects, from characters to plot to the Big Ideas. The writing, especially, is beautiful, and I say that as a reader who adores the wink-and-nod satires of the Discworld series, from which this is quite different. Oh, it's recognizably Mr. Pratchett wielding the pen, and developing ideas he's addressed in other works (like religion, individuals' role in the common good, and the power of stories), but we're not in Ankh-Morpork anymore, Gaspode.

"The Nation" is funny and engaging and treats serious subjects seriously, but not solemnly. It shouldn't be limited to the "young adult" category, although I'll certainly be giving a copy to anyone of that description who crosses my path. This is one of the best works of fiction I've read lately. It really is wonderful.

Nation may not be a typical Terry Pratchett book, and some people complained it was not too great, but I think they missed his point. As he wrote in his notes at the end, it does make you think. Maybe his usual side splitting story wasn't in this but think what he was trying to say.
I think he had something to say, and it was well worth reading Nation to find out what it was. Maybe those who didn't like it should read it again, and this time really read it. I would recommend this book for adults and young adults more than the young readers.

The front flap of one of "Nation" author Terry Pratchett's earlier books reads "In recent years [Discworld, his primary series] has split into "adult" and "children's" series. The difference between them is that one deals with serious themes, while the other one is for adults." Though "Nation" isn't a Discworld book - it's set on an island on an alternate Earth - it follows the pattern. A YA book, it's really quite serious about growing up, critical thinking, and belief - the book's biggest problem is that it's Anvilicious in a way only Richard Dawkins could love.

What's disappointing about this is though the latter half of the book is as emphatic as the first, it handles things more smoothly. The fault isn't that the messages forms the entire plot scaffolding - there are times this works well - but that Pratchett feels the need to go on about it when he should let it demonstrate itself. Normally his YA novels handle this better. His trademark humor isn't as present as usual either; the book undoubtedly has its moments and it's not as serious as "Night Watch", but they're fewer and farther between than normal.

Which isn't to say "Nation" is a bad book*; Pratchett's previous books set a very high bar that most authors can't meet. Mau, Daphne, and the rest of the book's cast are wonderfully engaging people. This just isn't the author's best.

***1/2

(* I dislike Amazon's "3 stars is negative" idea.)

A little disappointing, because I really miss the old Pratchett wit and humor. Still a very well written and thought provoking book, but Discworld fans will probably not find it very satisfying.

As a dedicated Pratchett fan I was disappointed to find that this latest offering is not a Discworld novel and, in fact, is a complete departure from anything I have read of his before (and I think I've read EVERYTHING!). That being said, the story is good although lacking in the usual Pratchett witticisms and comedy, in fact lacking in anything definitively Pratchett at all. If you're a Discworld fan and seeking another fix, this isn't it. If you're looking for a pleasant feel-good story but without the usual Pratchett bite, it's a good read.

But ended up reading it myself. Lovely return to a book that immerses you in a fantasy that may not be that far from the fantasies you create your self. Set on small island, Nation tells the story of survivors of varying disasters who come together in strength to face diversity. Good laughs, great adventure.

In spite of being the best-selling living British author, and one of the most talented, most hoidy-toidy types pigeon-hole Terry Pratchett away in the ghetto called "fantasy humor". So a very large number of educated people have not even heard of him, let alone give him any space as an author of English Literature. This is in spite of writing some of the most truth-filled and life-filled three dozen books you'll find in a bookstore. Perhaps Nation was Pratchett's conscious decision to address that, or perhaps Nation was a book Pratchett, the author, simply had to write before he stopped being able to write.

Nation is not Discworld. It's not humor, parody, or satire. It's categorized as "young adult", which is something of an insult, because it's seemingly based solely on the fact its two primary protagonists are both about 13 years old and his prose is not filled with expletives. Pratchett's style of prose reads like Hemingway, conversational, even informal. But he asks big questions. Nation is a book full of those big questions and the conflict between the pat answers we give ourselves and the truth.

Set in a somewhat parallel-reality 19th century Earth, the story centers on Mau, a young islander who encounters a tidal wave on his way back from his manhood sojourn and survives, a fate not shared by the rest of his people, which he knows only as the Nation. After returning home to nothing, and enduring the horror of burying his tribe at sea, he encounters another survivor. She is Ermintrude (a name she despises, so she introduces herself as Daphne), an English aristocratic maiden who is the sole survivor of the schooner Sweet Judy, dashed upon the island by the tidal wave. Mau and Daphne attempt to negotiate the delicate difficulty of communication while they are surrounded by the aftermath of horrific events.

As the largest tiny island in the tidal wave zone, eventually small groups of survivors from other destroyed village islands begin to arrive. They including a cantankerous priest, a dazed mother with a baby, a pregnant woman who gives birth right after arriving, and a pair of brothers who have worked for the English as seamen. Eventually several dozen people gather at the Nation, with young Mau as their shell-shocked chief.

Mau struggles with the fact that he never learned his tribe's customs. He believes he lost his "boy soul" during his coming of age on the remote trial island, but never received his "man soul" upon arriving home because there was no one left to grant it. His thoughts are filled by his anger towards, and then dismissal of, his tribe's gods while trying to care for all who arrive at the Nation. Daphne goes through a more readily recognizable transition, going from a home where she was consciously raised with as little practical knowledge as possible into a disaster zone where she is utterly alone amongst another ethnic group and is forced to learn life on the fly.

Many of Pratchett's literary signatures are easily recognizable in Nation. Though he has toned down his trademark annotations, Nation still has many moments of what might be called "life humor", funny because they're rooted in life's absurdities and ironies, not because of any conscious attempt to be funny, such as Daphne's discomfort with wearing "only" a dress, pantaloons, and underwear and wanting to "maintain standards" in spite of the absurdity of it in her present surroundings. His characters are basically good, but struggling with immense questions and petty hypocrisies. He consciously sets his story in a parallel reality, so as not to be tied to geographic precision or obligated to populate his environment with real animals. While it's easy to recognize the "Southern Pelagic Ocean" as the south Pacific, it may not be as obvious that the Nation's indigenous Grandfather Bird (which the English call the Pantaloon Bird) is no more ludicrous an animal in its habits than any number of other exotic animals with odd habits. And nodding to Pratchett's fantasy roots, both Mau and Daphne must contend with unbidden communications from voices beyond the veil, such as Mau's conversations with his tribe's death deity, Locaha, and the demanding, bullying voices of the Grandfathers of the tribe.

Many of the issues of faith, organized religion, and hypocrisy Pratchett first directly addressed in the 1992 Discworld novel Small Gods (and turn up continually in his other Discworld novels) crop up as central themes in Nation. The cynical priest Ataba knows, and eventually is forced by Mau to confess to him, that the tribe's "god anchors" -- large square stones used by the former Nation as ad hoc altars -- were man-made, but Ataba also knows that his people need them as simple answers to difficult questions that might get in the way of day-to-day survival if they were thought about too much. It is typical Pratchett irony that Mau and Daphne, both haunted by black events (Mau losing his entire tribe to the tidal wave, Daphne's mother and newborn brother dying in childbirth) and given to conflicts of faith, are the ones that are spoken to by the collective memories of the tribe's Grandfathers and Grandmothers, respectively.

Because Pratchett primarily works in humor, it's not surprising that he's gotten short shrift from literature critics. Perhaps with Nation, Terry Pratchett will have the opportunity to be released for a time from his "fantasy humor" ghetto and finally get some of the literary respect he so richly deserves.

To be honest, I picked up this book with more than a little hesitation.

I've been a fan of Terry Pratchett's for years. He's a great writer. One of the best. This cannot be argued.

Still, I knew this book wasn't going to be set in Discworld, so I was nervous. Also, I was a little disappointed, because I love the Discworld. It's like a place that I get to visit on vacation once or twice a year. I look forward to those visits, and because of that, I was more than ready to be let down by this non-Discworld story.

I shouldn't have worried. This is, in my opinion, Pratchett's best book yet. Reading it, I laughed out loud in public. Finishing it, I cried.

I've already ordered a half-dozen copies so I can give them away as gifts. I am excited about being able to share it with other people.

Buy it. Read it. Love it. You will not be disappointed. This book is like a kiss from god.

Just a short note to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I have been a fan of the Discworld series for more than 25 years so I am not the target audience for "Nation", But as crusty old grump easing into the 'golden years' I will say it had me shedding a tear or two at the end and damn few books manage that at my age.

I was sorry to see it end and I wanted to know more about the world that the events in this story brought about.

The juvenile (now termed 'Young adult') books of my youth were the early stories by Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 - May 8, 1988), and he like Pratchett never talked down to his intended readers. With both of them you find no hint of a simplified vocabulary or the other major sins of the genre.

Heartily Recommended for any that enjoy a good read.

For Pratchett fans familiar with his personal struggles, this book is a comfort and a joy. It's not about him of course - it's about life and death, history and future, old men and young children and the existence of God. In other words, it's about all of us. There are no storybook endings here but the real endings are even more satisfying.

This book has all the hallmarks of a great adventure story but with the addition of the wit and 3 dimensionality that Mr. Pratchett brings to his characters both good and evil.
There are similarities/references to archetypal stories such as Shakespeare's "The Tempest", "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Dafoe, "Mutiny on the Bounty" and even Melville's "Moby Dick" in the atmospheric way the author creates the world inhabited by this strange and delightful cast.
Make no mistake though, this is an alternative world, not our own and Mr.Pratchett once again expounds on his wonderful theory of time and space in a way similar to but more sophisticated than "The trousers of time" which feature so strongly in "Johnny and the bomb".
Bright children will enjoy it, advanced readers of 11 and up, capable of absorbing the nuances of, for instance, "Harry Potter" or a great classic novel like "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson will thrive on it. This is certainly not just a children's book.

Nation is about change. First about the change of becoming an adult and learning that you have no choice but to exert your judgment and power on the world around you. But it's also about change forced upon Mau and Daphne, and the other survivors who begin trickling to the island. It's about upheaval, and keeping your history and culture without being a slave to the past and outmoded ideas, i.e., moving forward on your own terms. And it's about actually going through those things. This isn't some self-help book that says `people must do X.' It's a good story in which you will see yourself, and question whether or not you'd be willing to suckle milk from a wild pig in order to save a baby's life.

The book is also fairly entertaining. I don't think anything about the plot was exceptional, but Pratchet is a great writer, and it shows throughout the book. For example, all the characters are written with distinctive, memorable voices that you will remember after the book is done. When Mau has a desperate plan to save the day, you aren't able to figure out what it is until it happens. You see the twists coming, but I wasn't able to figure out what the twist was until it turned, and I usually have twists figured out 100 pages in advance. This is one of those book I considered giving 4 stars to, but it's not as good as Anathem or Raw Shark Text, my past 4s, so I'm going to go with 3 stars. Still a good read, though.

... I need there to be the old man and the baby and the sick woman and the ghost girl, because without them I would go into the dark water right now. I asked for reasons, and here they are, yelling and smelling and demanding. The last people of the world and I need them. Without them I am just a figure on a grey beach , a lost boy, not knowing who I am. But they know me. I matter to them that's who I am." from Nation by Terry Pratchett

Nation asked questions that we all ask ourselves at some point, about God, about what to believe, and about ourselves. Since this is a fiction book, it is not trying to give you answers to those questions, because it is also asking you how would you deal with what happens to the characters Mau, Daphne and slew of others. If your world ended, would you believe what you were taught to believe? Or would you grow with the change?

The characters were interesting. Especially Mau and Daphne, the main characters. Sometimes I got bored with the other characters and annoyed with one character, or animal, in particular that had every right to get on their nerves.

This book reopened questions that I already had and still have, which made this review hard to write. I wasn't sure what I liked because I have been focusing on the questions and finding answers. I guess what I am saying is I liked the book. It has a message that isn't new but is interesting. It is well written and characters are decent.

About the Author: Terry Pratchett is the author of many Discworld novel, childrens books and other fantasy books. He lives with his wife in England.

This is a work of fiction, by Terry Pratchett, that is basically two, converging, coming-of-age stories, set in an alternate history of Earth, back in the days of three-masted sailing ships and the British Empire in its colonial heyday.

One of the core characters is Ermintrude, who prefers to be called Daphne. Daphne is 139th in the line of succession to the throne of England. Her mother died in childbirth, and Daphne is haunted by the memories of that sad time. Her father, who is, of course, 138th in the line of succession to the throne of England, has become Governor of a British colony in the South Pacific, leaving Daphne to be raised by a stern, overbearing, grandmother with very rigid ideas of what is proper. However, Daphne's father sends for her, and she sets sail for the long sea voyage to join her father. Shortly after Daphne leaves England, a terrible plague of Russian influenza hits Europe, taking an awful toil on the population, including the British monarchy. Daphne is a very bright, inquisitive girl, who loves science, of which her father approves, but her grandmother saw this as extremely un-ladylike and not befitting a girl who is 139th in the line of succession to the throne of England.

Mau is the other main character in Nation. He is a boy, on the verge of manhood, who is lifelong resident of a South Pacific island. According to the customs of his culture, the older men take him to another island and leave him there, alone, with the task of surviving and finding his way back, across miles of open ocean, within thirty days. If he succeeds, the entire tribe will celebrate Mau's newfound adult status, and he can begin seeking a wife. If he fails to return in thirty days, the elders will bring him back, if he has even survived, but Mau will never gain full adult status in the tribe, and cannot marry. Mau is a strong, bright, resourceful boy, and is well on his way home, in an outrigger canoe he built, when . . .

Disaster strikes! A volcanic island in the South Pacific, close on to degree of Krakatoa, causing an enormous tsunami. The tidal wave has a major impact on this story, as Mau survives, but the entire population of his home island is wiped off the face of the Earth. Meanwhile, the ship carrying Daphne is wrecked --- onto Mau's island --- leaving only Daphne surviving. Here, our two coming-of-age stories converge, and develops in a well-crafted, and very unexpected, manner. This is not the movie The Blue Lagoon (Special Edition) all over again, but something much more sophisticated and interesting.

Cultural issues are an important factor in this book, as Daphne's extremely proper, British upbringing collides with a reality that does not fit it, while Mau is left stripped of his people, his customs, and his culture. He was just about to become a man, but did not know everything he needs to found a new tribe --- a new Nation. As stragglers, from other islands, wander into the story, they are all lost, and our two protagonists are the most resourceful and the strongest of the bunch, with "the cream rising to the top." British colonialism also takes a hit in this story, as it is not viewed kindly. And, if all the disasters and upheavals were not enough, Daphne and Mau make an archaeological discovery, on Mau's island, that will shake the scientific and cultural worlds, across the globe, in a way that even a new Krakatoa and the plague could not.

Character development is key strength to this novel. By the end of the story, I felt that I knew, and liked, many of the characters. Daphne is a truly admirable young woman, who is quite worthy of the unexpected status she inherits, at the end of the book. Mau gives us the epitome of adolescent angst, mixed with the alienation of the culturally displaced and the existential rage of a young man who feels that his gods have not just abandoned him, but have betrayed him.

The book ends with a truly powerful epilogue, of the what-came-afterward type. I think that the reader would have to be pretty cold-hearted to not shed a tear or two, while reading it.

Everything I have said thus far has been pretty positive, but this book is not without its flaws. The beginning is somewhat muddied and abrupt, leaving the reader floundering for a while. I could not figure out how the Daphne and Mau story-lines could connect. Plus, there is the issue of the ages of the two protagonists. It took quite a while for it to be clear that Daphne was actually fourteen, not nine years old. Mau's age is never clearly stated, but I am pretty sure he is also about fourteen or fifteen.

There is a structural issue with this book, as the flow is uneven. It generally moves well, but it occasionally gets a bit lost, or off track. I recently read that Mr. Pratchett, a veteran writer of many books, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and I wonder if that could play a part in this small flaw in the book. However, the minor meandering does not significantly hurt the book and, if I ever get Alzheimer's, I hope that I will be able to write this well.

Before Nation, the only Pratchett story that I had read was a short story called The Sea Fishes and the Little Fishes, which is a well-crafted blend of fantasy, humor, folklore, and witchcraft set in his Discworld universe. I might read more of his books now.

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

In a way, the realm given to us by Pratchett in 'Nation' is familiar. It is an alternate vision of the world of the middle of the 19th century, a time of Empires and Kings and sailing ships and pirates in the South Seas. And also, in ways, the story told in 'Nation' is hardly original. Two young people, from very different backgrounds, marooned on a tropical island, must learn how to survive. But Pratchett puts some unique twists on this world.

Mau is returning from a distant island, the Boy's Island, where he had survived for a month and so, upon his arrival back on his home island, will be declare a man.
A short distance away Ermintrude ,or as she decides to call herself, Daphne, is sailing to join her father, the Governor of the Pelagic Territories, a chain of small islands in the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean. For both of them, life as they knew it will be changed forever by a giant tidal wave that races across the ocean, shipwrecking Daphne's boat and killing all on it but her and slaughtering all the inhabitants of Mau's home, killed as they wait on the beach for his return.
And half a world away, Europe is suffering from a terrible Plague that will require a drastic action by a mysterious group to save the monarchy.
The world that they knew is gone and Mau and Daphne, soon joined but a few others survivors, will be challenged to face all sorts of obstacles.

This alternate world that Pratchett creates is in many way fascinating and very entertaining. And Mr. Pratchett is a very good and often amusing writer. But there is one issue and I found it a rather annoying issue. Mr. Pratchett has an agenda, a message he would like to propose. Science is good...religion is not. Science is true..religion is a false reality that people create from the misunderstood truths of science. Ok..I get your point...again and again. But there is something to be said for being subtle and I don't think it enhances the book to hit the reader over the head with his intent. I will give him a point back on the score for not going with the easy "happily ever after" ending.

I haven't read anything by Pratchett before, and from what I read, this novel, aimed supposedly at the YA market, is not as humorous as most of his earlier work. I could have done with a bit more humor myself, but overall a well written, fairly entertaining book.

The main reason this one's getting four stars instead of five is that I found it slow in places, especially the beginning. However, despite this, Pratchett shows that outside of Discworld he's still a wickedly insightful observer of human nature, and a wonderfully talented writer. This young adult novel illustrates important lessons about how people interact and create cohesive groups, and what that identity means. While there's not the silliness of Discworld, there's still the cute turns of phrase and visual images that characterize Pratchett's writing. A good read for adults of all ages, young included.

NATION
by Terry Pratchett
332 pp.
HarperCollins Publishers

Most of us can trace our love affair with books back to a few select titles. Personally, as a child and young adult I was enamored with the likes of The Phantom Tollbooth, A Wrinkle In Time, and Bridge To Terabithia. These books are so valuable because they create lifelong readers.

Terry Pratchett's new novel, Nation, is such a book.

Most readers are familiar with the incisive wit and boundless satire characteristic of Pratchett's Discworld series, primarily responsible for the author's 55 million copies sold worldwide. But Pratchett also has a long history of writing for young people, dating back to his first novel, The Carpet People (1971). He's written a couple of trilogies for young people, and even introduced the Discworld to young adults with such successes as The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. As a fan, I've done my best to keep up with Pratchett's prodigious output, and I am far from reading everything the man has written. Still, I feel qualified to characterize Nation as something different.

Nation is the story of Mau, an island boy on his journey to become a man. When he returns home, he finds his entire community--known only as "Nation"--destroyed by a massive wave. No longer a boy and not yet a man, Mau is in the disheartening situation of having to clean up after the deadly storm. It is then that Mau, now entirely alone, begins to question his people's traditions and even their religious beliefs.

Mau is joined by a shipwrecked girl from Victorian England, Daphne, who is accustomed to the finer things in life. Together, the two young people help one another carry on. And as survivors of the wave from other nearby islands gravitate toward Mau's island, Mau and Daphne find themselves rebuilding a society from scratch.

Nation will become a young adult favorite for different reasons, foremost of which is that it is both accessible and enthralling. A literary artisan, Pratchett understands how to ensnare the reader's attention and arrest it completely. However, in Nation he manages this with a minimum of the wittiness that permeates many of his other books. Mau is a naturally sympathetic character who faces unspeakable hardships. Daphne, too, is entertaining and greatly challenged. In these two characters and indeed many of the supporting characters, Pratchett has created a cast that is perhaps more believable than many of his others--but no less intriguing. These are characters that will resonate with readers for a lifetime.

This is also a true adventure story in the realm of Robert Louis Stevenson or Rudyard Kipling, not only because it deals in shipwrecks and wilderness, but because of the hazards posed by the story's environments and the revelations they elicit from the characters. Granted, the Nation's island is remote. Even to its own inhabitants like Mau (not to mention pampered strangers like Daphne) the island poses significant hardships. But if these obstacles represented only physical danger, Nation would not resonate as it does. At one point, Mau must capture and milk a wild pig to feed a starving baby. The pig could easily injure or kill Mau, but he devises a way around this. While the danger to Mau creates significant tension and results in a gratifying payoff, it is not the danger that is most gratifying. Rather, it is the changes that come over Mau as a result of this and other similar obstacles that make the story worth reading. Similarly, Daphne's immersion into a world without petticoats or books does much more than simply entertain the reader. It makes the reader think and devise ideas, which is one of the true joys of reading, especially for young people.

And there is plenty to think about. Pratchett does not address his young audience with kid gloves. In fact, few adult-oriented authors can pack so many thought-provoking conflicts and resolutions into a single novel while maintaining a good read. Pratchett himself has alluded to reading beyond his age as a youngster, and he no doubt expects the same of Nation's audience. Through Mau's tribulations, the reader is confronted with substantial questions on religion, cultural norms, the roles of men and women, and iniquities of tribal societies versus those in the developed world. Young readers will appreciate being treated as adults and will benefit from the thoughts that Pratchett provokes. And they will remember Nation for provoking those thoughts.

Nation is also trademark Pratchett in some places. Pratchett is a creator of worlds, and Mau's world is full of unique sights. Foremost among these are the animals of Mau's island, such as the tree-climbing octopus and the grandfather bird. They allow a source of levity and relief from the more disturbing proceedings that only the creator of Discworld could conjure.

Longtime Pratchett fans might not know what to make of Nation. The humor and wizardry of many Discworld novels is almost nonexistent. But those familiar with Pratchett's health (He was diagnosed in late 2007 with Alzheimers.) may detect more self-contemplation than outright humor. Take, for instance, this passage:


"They didn't know why these things were funny. Sometimes you laugh because you've got no more room for crying. Sometimes you laugh because table manners on a beach are funny. And sometimes you laugh because you're alive, when you really shouldn't be."


Granted, these words have a very particular place in the story. But few authors facing significant health problems could write such words without regard of their own health.

If Nation does not end up on students' summer reading lists, I'll be disappointed. It is a very good example of young adult literature that is enjoyable, thought-provoking, and momentous in terms of the author's personal situation. If nothing else, Nation will hopefully introduce young people to the wide worlds of Terry Pratchett. If so, we will undoubtedly have many more bibliophiles on our hands.

Pratchett walks a very, very fine line in NATION, balancing tragedy with triumph, and gentle humor with mind numbing sadness. That he does this so successfully is a tribute to his profound storytelling skills, which we've been fortunate to enjoy lo these many years. Another instant classic from the man who brought us the endlessly entertaining Discworld, and the amazing Johnny Maxwell trilogy.

I am not sure what I expected from Terry Pratchett but I will say this was not it. I have read several of his other works and it is almost always esoteric in nature. This novel, although engaging, was definitely not esoteric. The action took place in a logical and believable manner. There was not any magic or supernatural action in the sense that you would normally expect from an author like Terry Patchett.

This book is designed for kids and the primary characters are children. With that being said it is not written down to children rather it is written to engage children. Very nicely done. To put another way this is a story that sounds like it was narrated by a child realistically rather then an adult posing as a child.

A story about a pair of youngsters who both lose the comfort and security of all they know. One loses his land, people and history. Another loses the security of comfort and anyone who is the same. These two children come together and unwillingly and willingly challenge each other and together change and adapt into different and larger personalities and characters then they ever would have otherwise.

The Positive:
1. Very nicely paced.
2. Characters that I came to care about quickly. Some of the characters are not mentioned often but Terry does an excellent job of making them believable and engaging.
3. A circumstance and tragedy that is both compelling and poignant.
4. Very nicely written.

The Cons:
1. Plot and situation are a bit devastating. Along with a few sequences of action this might be a bit too violent or disturbing for the very youngest readers. I think the target audience must be Junior High or High School and for that audience it is just fine.
2. I found myself really curios about the subplot in the book and wished a bit more time was spent on that.

Over all I think the author did a fine job of balancing action, emotion and the fact that this book is geared towards a younger audience. This is a book I plan on keeping on hand to share with my oldest in a few years.

In a parallel universe set in the time when the British were still exploring and claiming new worlds a plague has affected many of its citizens. On its quest to bring the daughter of the new king back to London, the Sweet Judy is shipwrecked by a tidal wave.

On his journey into manhood Mau had just found the canoe that will take him to his home island where he will become a man. When he arrives, Mau finds that the tidal wave has taken the lives of his entire island Nation.

But when much is taken, something is returned and together Daphne and Mau confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives--all of them hungry and all of them frightened.

Nation was my first Terry Pratchett novel and I enjoyed the journey into this imaginary world and the story told with realism and humor. The characters question faith, struggle to keep their new family safe and overcome the hurdles of a lifestyle turned upside down all while forging a new Nation. I recommend this book to all YA readers.

I found Pratchett's newest book to be very enjoyable and an interesting change from the Discworld books. While it is based on the British Empire of the 19th century, it is clearly a Pratchett variation where we went down the other leg in "the trousers of time."

Growing up, I adored both the book and the movie of "The Swiss Family Robinson" so a book where people have to figure out how to survive and define themselves within their survival is always a good bet.

Daphne rebels against being a girl of her time. She recognizes the bullying tendencies of her grandmother and adores her father who lets her learn science rather than embroidery. When she's stranded on an island with only one other person, they have to figure out each other's language and customs as well as figuring out how to survive.

Other people join them. Some are good people; a few are bad. There are discussions of the rule of law and democracy.

I didn't find the language of Mau, whose Island it is, or the others who join them to be simplistic, though I note other reviewers did. Within his own head, Mau is as good a thinker, at least, as Daphne. If the spoken language is primarily in present tense using simple words, well, I think most Frenchmen would find my French to be primarily in present tense and using a simple vocabulary. It's a common occurrence when trying to be understood in a language one doesn't speak fluently.

This is a story of cultures learning not to clash, people learning to cooperate and survive, and the scientific method.

Returning home from an end-of-boyhood ritual on an isolated island, young Mau encounters a giant wave. When he finally reaches his home, he discovers it's been devastated by the wave. He's the only survivor of his nation, which had existed on this mountainous island for centuries. Although alone, Mau isn't the only survivor of the wave. The surge dumped deep in the forest a ship, which carried safely as it turned out, a very important passenger. In this finest of Pratchett's tales for "young adults", he weaves into the story important concepts along with fine entertainment. The mix works well, in ways only Terry Pratchett can conceive. This book will outlast many other contemporary efforts that fail to incorporate the depths of thinking Pratchett can achieve.

How do you rebuild a "nation" from but one survivor? The wave that destroyed so many communities left a tithe of survivors from other islands. In small groups, they begin to accumulate on Mau's island, forcing him - at thirteen years - to become the new "chief". He has already coped with the job of burying his relatives and other members of his nation. Even that propitiating task doesn't seem to quell the demands of The Grandfathers who visit him in dreams and visions. They express unfulfilled needs which he cannot comprehend. One of the refugees Mau must deal with is a Ataba, a priest who had trained on Mau's island. Ataba knows about the gods - and the white god anchors - which are to be kept nearby and bring good luck to the people of the Nation. This idea eludes Mau who wants to know which god brought the Great Wave and why he should be thankful for it.

Another of the wave's spared tithes is "Daphne", the sole survivor of the shipwreck. She's an Unbaked One from a distant land, daughter of one of the "trousermen". Pale skin and pants were known only by rumour in Mau's Nation prior to the wave. "Daphne", who has listened to Prof Aggasize's lectures and shaken hands with Mr Darwin, is rather a special person. She's in line to ascend the throne - but only after the deaths of 139 people, including of course, her father. In the Nation, "Daphne" finds a new life - she delivers babies, amputates limbs, kills a man . . . not what she'd been "trained" to do by her Gran. Above all, she must learn about Mau, his Nation and The Grandfathers residing somewhere in Mau's mind. A considerable challenge for a girl of but thirteen.

There aren't sufficient words of praise for this book. Pratchett builds his characters with his practiced finesse, keeping the tensions of their interacting lives taut but flexible enough for negotiation. After all, these two children begin their lives together without a word of communication. More seriously, however, Pratchett has those "children" begin thinking in ways that even close adults fail to grasp. "Daphne's" confrontation with her father at the conclusion is rich with implications - even for today. Mau, beset with the responsibility of keeping the refugee community in order, ascends to the role of chief, making him the builder of a new Nation, almost by accident. Can such an endeavour actually succeed? In many ways this is one of the most subversive works of fiction for "young adults" available. It portrays not only a world that is other than the one we live in now, but offers a means to achieve it. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I gave this book to my tweener daughter to review. At the beginning she said it was quite interesting. But, as she progressed further, she said it was hard to follow and became very boring. Although she finishes almost all books, this one she didn't... Here it is in her words:

The book Nation is about the history of the U.S, basically. It makes reference toward "The Old World" in the first chapter and from then on talks about "The New World" up until present times.

When I first started reading Nation I thought that it might be worthwhile reading. After 2 more chapters I decided it was boring. While the topic was interesting, the narrative of the book is completely dull and I believe whoever wrote this book had rocks in their head at the time.

By the 4th chapter in the book I put it down and decided I would rather sit in the corner eating strawberry pop tarts instead of wasting my time entirely by reading this book.

Keep in mind though this is only my opinion ,and am only suggesting this book is boring, if you like dully narrated books where the author probably had rocks in his head when he wrote it than be my guest to read it.

Terry Pratchett's approach to children's writing is surprisingly accessible considering it's sophistication... my ten-year-old daughter enjoyed this book as much as I did, placing it firmly in the ranks of classics such as "The Little White Horse" and "The Golden Compass". It tackles fairly heavy subject matter without being overwhelming for the younger reader, and at the end of the book I closed it with a sigh and wished it wasn't over. My daughter has already reread it once, and we are both hoping for more children's books from Mr. Pratchett.

This Terry Pratchett novel is not a Discworld book, but it could have been. Those readers familiar with Pratchett know his formula, and most of it is on display here--the intelligent-but-naive heroes, the quirky supporting characters, the two dimensional bad guys who get theirs in the end, etc. All it's lacking are the Discworld trappings, which it instead trades for Victorian England trappings (they fit the book's themes better). It's light and funny and reads quickly.

I especially enjoyed the thematic elements of this book. Pratchett has long flirted with ideas of atheism, rationality, and science in his books, and they really come to the fore in this novel. While I think a little bit of his message is forced--this is clearly a book with some agenda in mind--I didn't mind it. It's a worthy message regardless.

Most readers will know Terry Pratchett from his Discworld series. This book is in its own setting on an island that has been ravaged by a tidal wave. The writing is excellent and the story is well paced. The wit and humor of the Discworld series is toned down a bit for this book. Overall it was very enjoyable, although it might be a little intense for younger readers.

When I was pursuing my degree in English, I had to read a ton of novels, obviously. Throughout time, the concept of individuals stranded on an island has been a popular one. From Robinson Crusoe to Lord of the Flies. From Treasure Island to TV's Lost. Obviously, there's something mysterious, romantic and desperate enough here to be explored through centuries of literature.

Meanwhile, Terry Pratchett has made a name for himself for crafting an amazingly satiric world called Discworld and while this is the series he's most known for, whenever he branches out into other stories, he does so very well. And so, we have Nation, a book about a boy named Mau who, on his return journey home towards becoming a man, encounters a terrifying wave that destroys everything and everyone he knew and loved. It also left him in the middle of a transformation; not a boy, not yet a man, as Britney Spears might sing...if she were a man.

Then, we have Ermintrude/Daphne, distantly related to The Royal Family, who is on a ship that is also capsized by the same wave. They both inadvertently end up on an island, what used to be Mau's home, and have to form an alliance to survive.

So, that's the story in a nutshell and without spoiling anything that happens as it progresses. It's pretty standard fare, honestly, and, from a story perspective, nothing you haven't seen before. However, like all of Pratchett's novels, a standard story is grounded in strong characters with...well, a lot of character. Pratchett crafts interesting characters that feel like real people, and his wit and touch is completely evident throughout the novel. His presentation of the topic is what helps lift this familiar story to new heights, while asking small, but probing questions all the way.

On one hand, a stirring survival-against-the-odds story; on the other, a coming of age story; on a third, if one were so equipped, a story about disparate people coming together and forging a new nation, Nation is an interesting, if sometime meandering, look at a history that could have been. Very much recommended.

I've been a reader of Pratchett's Discworld series for quite some time, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest book. It's not a Discworld novel, but Nation has all the trademark Pratchett humor.

Mau returns to his island, the Nation, only to find that the tidal wave which delayed his homecoming wiped out all life on the island. This disaster not only wiped out his way of life, but his faith in his gods as well. The only god he continues to believe in is Locaha, the god of death.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, Daphne (born Ermintrude) has survived the wreck of the Sweet Judy. The only other survivor is the captain's parrot, whose vocabulary is most unsuitable for young ladies.

These two must come together, not only to survive, but to rebuild and protect the Nation which is under attack from cannibalistic raiders, pirates, and imperialists. Both must make the transition from the way they've been taught to view the world, to finding their own visions, often with humorous results.

I owe Terry Pratchett a debt impossible to repay - his are the first books my reading-shy son picked up, read, and, having finished, went back to the bookstore because he liked reading them so much he wanted to buy some more. So, with that important point made, I'll begin my review.

Over the years Terry Pratchett has given us an enormous collection of charming and, at their best, stimulating novels. Fantasy novels, ostensibly, but ones that have consistently held to Goethe's wise adage that the proper study of man is man himself. (Today we would properly amend the phrase to include both sexes, as the author of Werther, Faust, and Elective Affinities was a creature of his age - the man of his age.)Pratchett's books have been so successful not only in sales but achievement that with the benefit of hindsight he seems fast closing in on a very select pantheon of popular English writers, Conan Doyle, Wodehouse, Christie, and more recently John LeCarre. It does not take the gifts of Pratchett's witches' crystal balls, however odd they might be, to realize that long after most of the Booker nominees, and yes, even the Booker winners are forgotten, people will be reading and enjoying Terry Pratchett stories.

This said, I must now turn, like the salt caravans of the desert, to a rather lonelier reach; a marked dislike of this latest book. Now with Discworld it must be noted the author enjoys special unique advantages; however cobbled together from Pratchett's wide-ranging hodge-podge of encyclopedic reading, Discworld and its characters are known to us only through the words of its author (and Creator). In "Nation" Pratchett strays into far less private waters; where before his ownership was absolute even down to legal copywright, in "Nation" the subject matter enjoys no such absolution from comparison. Pratchett gives us a fair look at a real historical time and a closer view of real place. Due to this break-out from the bounds (and limitations) of his own private hunting preserve and literary theme park, even the well-read Mr.Pratchett might be surprised to learn just how far into the realm reach writings on these distant seas he here sails. He might, with profit, take a glance through the pages of "Seabirds in Southern Waters"Seabirds in Southern Waters for tips from His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip on how to better capture the nature of the waters of the open sea, and the look of the birds inhabiting the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Pratchett makes several references to Charles Darwin, but out of kindness I'll refrain from putting the sketchy descriptive prose of "Nation" up against the gimlet-eyed and heavily foliated verbal underbrush of nature everywhere on display in the works of the author of "The Origin of Species."

Moreover, and only Pratchett knows why, all the dramatic possibilites inherent in a real challenge between two differing cultures are skirted and defused. Pratchett's views on the evil wrought by European culture on indigenous peoples around the globe are already too well known for any dramatic or moral outrage. Offering up the native islander in pages of gibble-de-gook English is insulting, something I thought went out with bad Charlie Chan movies. If there was a need for a modern retelling, even in a work designed with juvenile readers in mind, did the story have to sound so patently perdictable? Melville made all these points, and in far grander prose, back in the 1850's, and he made them whole cloth, and spoke and lectured for his theme. This is old ground, Terry, and I don't see where you've added a thing. Moreover, Melville, a seriously devout Christian, also faced up to great personal challenges on coming to his first hand vision. "For evil is the chronic malady of the universe," writes a dispirited Melville depciting the terrors of 'civilization'. Perhaps such tough talk isn't the province of the new Terry Pratchett, but I seem to recall he faced the universality of evil a bit more openly in his early books. Reading "Nation" one never senses any great internal upheval of recognition and redemption, only a certain quaint New Age vision of hope, adequate and unchallenging, but quite untested.

As I pointed out in a review of Rousseau's Letter to Monsieur D'Alembert on the Theatre Politics and the Arts: Letter to M.D. Alembert on the Theatre (Agora Paperback Editions) you don't stack the deck if you believe in your argument. When Rousseau took on the moral subversions he saw in the contemporary French stage, he didn't rip apart some lascivious tawdry comedy as example. Instead he took on a work he admired as a masterpeice, "The Misanthrope", by an author he admired above all other living playwrights, Moliere. In this book Pratchett never seriously challenges his own belief system, as did Rousseau. Instead we find a heroine happily in agreement with another culture, and readily and easily assimilated. You can usually tell how good (or bad) a book is by how the author treats his main characters' adversaries. Are they deeply troubled, complex souls, whose views the author empathizes with? Or are they straw men, blown over in the first puff of moral arrogance?
We forgive an author for depicting villains of pure evil only when our hero or heroine faces a depper inner challenge, as is the case with Lord Jim, or Axel Heyst in "Victory". The world Pratchett describes never rings false, not because he accepts it without examination, but because without strenously examining his creative new world he ceases to register an inseparable part of his own identity, and in so doing loses his artistic grip.

Pratchett too often reminds me of those 'men of the world' who laughed at Rousseau's take on morality, then turned silly with sentimentality. At times he can sound as unbridled as the earthiest moments of 17th Century English theater. Pratchett's ongoing delight in the vulgar recalls no one so much as Nash, and Defoe, whose Robinson Crusoe sets a high standard in this literary genre of shipwreck and human isolation, and is wrongly abridged by modern anti-Christian editors who find its Bible passages abhorent and censor them out as, 'boring'. These previous writers, Nash and Defoe and their like, with their obsessions for verbalizing the sweat and stench and sounds of daily grubbing, offer much in the way of historical precedents, as well as a narrative mythopoeic drawn from the adventurous age of The New World discoveries. This picaresque structure of clever episodic linking and manipulation of audience Defoe mastered so well in his best novels, such as "Moll Flanders" - as close a work to Pratchett's finest as any existing. When balanced against a sharp wit, and a ribald sense of humor, the fantastic stories my teenage son so enjoys find a grounding otherwise impossible in less thoughtful authors who cannot pull off the tricky feat of keeping their feet solidly of the earth, even when they go tacking in the clouds.

It is just this grounding in the soothfast, or rather its lacking, that weakens and ultimately defeats Pratchett's imagination in "Nation". Certainly it is a bold endeavor he sets himself, but it's one he lacks the prerequiste experience and intellectual fortitiude to attempt. Pratchett can in no way offer us the impassioned polemics calling for justice we have handed down to us in the works of Melville. Nor does he show the deeply contained sense for a fully understood site - Capri - radiating from every page of Norman Douglas novel "South Wind". A master of imagination, Pratchett here crosses over into more solid ground, and falls short of those whose work rise to the highest levels of artistic imagination, and who have also enjoyed the advantage of traveling firsthand these paths far closer and with greater appreciation long before him.

Perhaps its best to end quoting from Walter Karig, who saw the horrors of war in the Pacific and wrote sympathetically about its doomed island cultures. "Everyone knows what happened at Bikini...Bikini is the first date in the (H-Bomb) era...it is not so much the name of a place so much as it is the name of an event. But Bikini was a place and it is a place. It was a place of happy people (who) scarcely heard the rustle of history's pages turning faster and faster as the record was written of what the great peoples of the earth were doing to make life more interesting and more certain of painfully abrupt termination.
Now, though, there are no people on Bikini...The people of Bikini didn't even own their island. It belonged, and they were subject to, the paramount chiefs of Ailinglaplap, who lived on a lush and frutiful atoll some hundreds of miles southward. The Bikinians were a poor and spiritless tribe who had been pushed out, island by island,...by their sturdier brethen..to this barren atoll. The island is named by the Marshallese for its people, the Bikini. And in Marshallese, Bikini means "you stink."

Addenda. One small point remains. I have long wondered about just how to categorize Pratchett's writing. The novels may move in fantastic ways, but they clearly are always alert to the most mundane and unfantastic needs of life. Ellenda Proffer, in an essay from "The Master and Margarita, A Critical Companion" Master and Margarita: A Critical Companion (AATSEEL) notes "a lack of modern works that contain such hetergeneous elements (satirical comedy, the supernatural, and serious philosophical concerns). She posits Bulgakov's famous work as a possible rare exception, fiiting nicely into the genre of Menippean satire. In some ways I do not accept Pratchett's books as quite surviving such a heavy and imposing critical label - for one thing they're really too much fun for such grandiosity. Still, below is listed the criteria Proffer uses as limit test on pages 98-99. See what you think.

" 1). Menippean satire breaks away from traditional time-space considerations and is not bound by any requirements pf versimilitude to reality.
2). Heroes are often legendary and can be actual historical figures.
3). Mystical and religious elements are often pprtrayed in a coarse and comic way; the ultimate questions are discussed in the most incongrous circumstances...
4). The philosophical and the fantastic are united.
5). There is a portrayal of unusual states of mind - dreams and insanity, especially schizophrenia.
6). Scandal scenes are typical.
7). All types of social and philosophical targets are satirized. Topical satire is evident...(My note: Think the various guilds of Ankh-Morpork; Thieves, Assassians, etc.)
8). Ironies and paradoxes proliferate.
9. There is a mixture of stylistic levels.

I owe Terry Pratchett a debt impossible to repay - his are the first books my reading-shy son picked up, read, and, having finished, went back to the bookstore because he liked reading them so much he wanted to buy some more. So, with that important point made, I'll begin my review.

Over the years Terry Pratchett has given us an enormous collection of charming and, at their best, stimulating novels. Fantasy novels, ostensibly, but ones that have consistently held to Goethe's wise adage that the proper study of man is man himself. (Today we would properly amend the phrase to include both sexes, as the author of Werther, Faust, and Elective Affinities was a creature of his age - the man of his age.)Pratchett's books have been so successful not only in sales but achievement that with the benefit of hindsight he seems fast closing in on a very select pantheon of popular English writers, Conan Doyle, Wodehouse, Christie, and more recently John LeCarre. It does not take the gifts of Pratchett's witches' crystal balls, however odd they might be, to realize that long after most of the Booker nominees, and yes, even the Booker winners are forgotten, people will be reading and enjoying Terry Pratchett stories.

This said, I must now turn, like the salt caravans of the desert, to a rather lonelier reach; a marked dislike of this latest book. Now with Discworld it must be noted the author enjoys special unique advantages; however cobbled together from Pratchett's wide-ranging hodge-podge of encyclopedic reading, Discworld and its characters are known to us only through the words of its author (and Creator). In "Nation" Pratchett strays into far less private waters; where before his ownership was absolute even down to legal copywright, in "Nation" the subject matter enjoys no such absolution from comparison. Pratchett gives us a fair look at a real historical time and a closer view of real place. Due to this break-out from the bounds (and limitations) of his own private hunting preserve and literary theme park, even the well-read Mr.Pratchett might be surprised to learn just how far into the realm reach writings on these distant seas he here sails. He might, with profit, take a glance through the pages of "Seabirds in Southern Waters"Seabirds in Southern Waters for tips from His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip on how to better capture the nature of the waters of the open sea, and the look of the birds inhabiting the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Pratchett makes several references to Charles Darwin, but out of kindness I'll refrain from putting the sketchy descriptive prose of "Nation" up against the gimlet-eyed and heavily foliated verbal underbrush of nature everywhere on display in the works of the author of "The Origin of Species."

Moreover, and only Pratchett knows why, all the dramatic possibilites inherent in a real challenge between two differing cultures are skirted and defused. Pratchett's comments on the evil of European culture are too well known to need modern retelling, even in a work designed with juvenile readers in mind. Melville made all these points, and in far grander prose, back in the 1850's, and he made them whole cloth, and spoke and lectured for his theme. Melville, a seriously devout Christian, also faced up to greater personal challenges on coming to his first hand vision: "For evil is the chronic malady of the universe," writes a dispirited Melville. Perhaps such tough talk isn't the province of the new Terry Pratchett, but I seem to recall he faced it a bit more openly in his early books. Reading "Nation" one never senses any great internal upheval of recognition and redemption, only a certain quaint New Age vision of hope, adequate and unchallenging, but quite untested.

As I pointed out in a review of Rousseau's Letter to Monsieur D'Alembert on the Theatre Politics and the Arts: Letter to M.D. Alembert on the Theatre (Agora Paperback Editions) you don't stack the deck if you believe in your argument. When Rousseau took on the moral subversions he saw in the contemporary French stage, he didn't rip apart some lascivious tawdry comedy as example. Instead he took on a work he admired as a masterpeice, "The Misanthrope", by an author he admired above all other living playwrights, Moliere. In this book Pratchett never seriously challenges his own belief system, as did Rousseau. Instead we find a heroine happily in agreement with another culture, and readily and easily assimilated. You can usually tell how good (or bad) a book is by how the author treats his main characters' adversaries. Are they deeply troubled, complex souls, whose views the author empathizes with? Or are they straw men, blown over in the first puff of moral arrogance?
We forgive an author for depicting villains of pure evil only when our hero or heroine faces a depper inner challenge, as is the case with Lord Jim, or Axel Heyst in "Victory". The world Pratchett describes never rings false, not because he accepts it without examination, but because without strenously examining his creative new world he ceases to register an inseparable part of his own identity, and in so doing loses his artistic grip.

Pratchett too often reminds me of those 'men of the world' who laughed at Rousseau's take on morality, then turned silly with sentimentality. At times he can sound as unbridled as the earthiest moments of 17th Century English theater. Pratchett's ongoing delight in the vulgar recalls no one so much as Nash, and Defoe, whose Robinson Crusoe sets a high standard in this literary genre of shipwreck and human isolation, and is wrongly abridged by modern anti-Christian editors who find its Bible passages abhorent and censor them out as, 'boring'. These previous writers, Nash and Defoe and their like, with their obsessions for verbalizing the sweat and stench and sounds of daily grubbing, offer much in the way of historical precedents, as well as a narrative mythopoeic drawn from the adventurous age of The New World discoveries. This picaresque structure of clever episodic linking and manipulation of audience Defoe mastered so well in his best novels, such as "Moll Flanders" - as close a work to Pratchett's finest as any existing. When balanced against a sharp wit, and a ribald sense of humor, the fantastic stories my teenage son so enjoys find a grounding otherwise impossible in less thoughtful authors who cannot pull off the tricky